"When Your Journey Is Completed"

What a relief it is when the journey finally ends.

Image from Canva.

God kept me safe, and I arrived in Sevierville, Tennessee, for Polishing the Pulpit.

Arriving safely at your destination is one of the most relieving and peaceful feelings.

God compares our lives on this earth to a journey.

Thankfully, the Lord has promised to be with us throughout our journey on this earth. But that doesn’t mean things will be easy.

The Available Routes.

Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it. Matthew 7:13-14.

Jesus most likely has “entering” the kingdom of heaven in mind (Matthew 5:20).

Jesus explains there are two “roads” or “paths.”

One is “wide” or “spacious,” leading to destruction. Many people will take this road. The other path is “narrow” or “difficult,” but it leads to life. Few people will take this road.

Near the end of Matthew, Jesus again emphasized the two different destinations.

And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life. (Matthew 25:46)

So, on this journey of life, we can take two different routes that lead to two very different destinations.

The Reliable Guide.

Jesus is our reliable guide to the Father.

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6)

Jesus emphasizes that He is the ONLY way, the ONLY truth, and the ONLY life. He is the only way to come to the Father. He is the only guide who can lead us to the destination of life.

Jesus is also the good shepherd who will not leave His sheep to fend for themselves but will protect them.

I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them. The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep. I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. (John 10:11-15)

Jesus protects His sheep as their guide - even laying down His life for them. He is a trustworthy guide because of how much He loves us (John 3:16-17).

The Joyful Arrival.

The apostle Paul looked forward with joy to arriving at his final destination.

For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing. (2 Timothy 4:6-8)

Have you ever been on a road trip that seemed like you would never arrive at your destination? Maybe you’d sat in traffic a couple of times - maybe you’d had some car trouble. You longed to reach your destination.

Paul sounds like someone who is longing to reach his destination. Thanks to the mercy and grace of Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 1:12-17), he knew the joy that awaited him when his life was over.

You and I can look forward to arriving at our final destination the same as Paul - because we have the same merciful, gracious Savior.